London: Shamima Begum with a previous son, Jerah, in al-Hawl camp, Kurdish Syria. Photograph: Jamie Wiseman/Daily Mail
Sajid Javid has been accused of moral cowardice and “treating the UK as a banana republic” in pursuit of his leadership ambitions following the death of Jarrah, the three-week-old son of Isis bride Shamima Begum.
A Church of England bishop and a former director of public prosecutions led the chorus of outrage directed at the home secretary as demand grew for him to review his controversial decision to strip the 19-year-old of British citizenship – a move that left her stateless and her baby in legal limbo.
“This was an abject decision by a home secretary apparently so intent on furthering his leadership ambitions that he has lost sight of sovereignty, treating the UK as a banana republic incapable of regulating its own citizens,” said Lord Macdonald, who was director of public prosecutions of England and Wales between 2003 and 2008.
The peer, who oversaw a 2010 government review of counter-terrorism and security powers, told the Observer that Javid’s “opportunism has other costs, including a more dangerous world where stateless individuals roam with no allegiance, and the death of unprotected innocents, in this case a vulnerable British baby”. And he warned of blowback to the UK.
“No dignified self-governing state should abandon responsibility for its own citizens in this way, trying to dump them on to poorer countries with failed security arrangements. Mr Javid’s behaviour is a recipe for refugee chaos and moral cowardice of the worst sort,” he said.
The bishop of St Albans, the Rt Rev Dr Alan Smith, said: “She should come back, be properly interviewed and, if it’s found that she has broken the law, she should face the law. If it’s found that she has been radicalised, she should be given help and support.
“The home secretary has a responsibility to ensure people in this country are protected. We could have done this by taking her through due process and it is to be regretted if we are not following it, because this is a human rights issue.”
Begum, from Bethnal Green, east London, was 15 when she and two other schoolgirls went to join Isis in February 2015. She gave birth in a Syrian refugee camp last month, having already lost two children.
News that a third child had now died has left her relatives in London distraught. The Begum family’s lawyer, Tasnime Akunjee, said: “They are utterly crushed and despondent at the moment.”
Javid’s decision to strip the teenager of her British citizenship triggered a ferocious debate over whether she should be allowed to return and raised questions about the legality of his decision.
Trending
- Indian PM’s decision to call AJ&K a part of India is a violation of UN resolutions: Javed Badhanvi
- Significance of Qatar Emir’s crucial Bangladesh visit
- Dr. Yunus’ Dark Side and Social Media Users
- Terrorizing the CPEC: Analyzing a Comprehensive Security Framework for CPEC
- Flood in Gwadar
- In Pursuit of Morels: A Childhood Adventure
- FBL Unveils Strong Financial Results for the Q1’24
- High-profile UK delegation explores collaborative opportunities at NUST